Pedestrian safety communication system and method

Abstract

A method at a power-limited computing station for communicating in an intelligent transport system, the method including operating the computing station in one of a non-critical radio operating state and a safety-critical radio operating state; receiving a trigger at the computing station; determining whether the trigger should cause the computing station to transition a radio operating state; and if the trigger should cause the computing station to transition the radio operating state, changing the radio operating state to the other of the non-critical radio operating state and the safety-critical radio operating state.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method at a power-limited computing station for communicating in an intelligent transport system, the method comprising:
 operating the computing station in one of a non-critical radio operating state and a safety-critical radio operating state, the safety-critical radio operating state having shorter sleep cycles to provide lower latency than the non-critical radio operating state for communications with one or more components of the intelligent transport system; 
 receiving a trigger at the computing station, the trigger including a wake-up radio signal comprising on-off-keying (OOK) signals; 
 determining whether the trigger should cause the computing station to transition a radio operating state; 
 when the trigger should cause the computing station to transition the radio operating state, changing the radio operating state to the other of the non-critical radio operating state and the safety-critical radio operating state; and 
 when the radio operating state is changed to the safety-critical radio operating state, transmitting a signal indicating that the radio operating state is the safety-critical radio operating state. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-critical radio operating state consumes less power resources but has a higher response latency than the safety-critical radio operating state. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger includes a Bluetooth Low Energy signal received at the computing station. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger is relayed from a vehicle or other computing station in the intelligent transport system using an infrastructure element. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger includes one or more messages of the type of a Cooperative Awareness Message, a Personal Safety Message, or a Basic Safety message. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the changing to the safety-critical radio operating state causes a second radio to be activated on the computing station. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second radio is a safety radio for intelligent transportation systems. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the changing to the non-critical radio operating state causes a radio on the computing station to use discontinuous reception. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining uses information from local sensors on the computing station in conjunction with the trigger. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger is a message from a cellular base station providing an indication that the computing station is entering or leaving a geofenced area. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining ignores the trigger when the computing station is within a vehicle. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining ignores the trigger when the computing station is in a different plane from a transmitter that sent the trigger. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining differs based on time of day. 
     
     
       14. A power-limited computing station for communicating in an intelligent transport system, the computing station comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a communications subsystem, 
 
       wherein the computing station is configured to:
 operate in one of a non-critical radio operating state and a safety-critical radio operating state, the safety-critical radio operating state having shorter sleep cycles to provide lower latency than the non-critical radio operating state for communications with one or more components of the intelligent transport system; 
 receive a trigger at the computing station, the trigger including a wake-up radio signal comprising on-off-keying (OOK) signals; 
 determine whether the trigger should cause the computing station to transition a radio operating state; 
 when the trigger should cause the computing station to transition the radio operating state, change the radio operating state to the other of the non-critical radio operating state and the safety-critical radio operating state; and 
 when the radio operating state is changed to the safety-critical radio operating state, transmit a signal indicating that the radio operating state is the safety-critical radio operating state. 
 
     
     
       15. The computing station of  claim 14 , wherein the non-critical radio operating state consumes less power resources but has a higher response latency than the safety-critical radio operating state. 
     
     
       16. The computing station of  claim 14 , wherein the trigger includes a Bluetooth Low Energy signal received at the computing station. 
     
     
       17. The computing station of  claim 14 , wherein the trigger is relayed from a vehicle or other computing station in the intelligent transport system using an infrastructure element. 
     
     
       18. The computing station of  claim 14 , wherein the trigger includes one or more messages of the type of a Cooperative Awareness Message, a Personal Safety Message, or a Basic Safety message. 
     
     
       19. The computing station of  claim 14 , wherein the computing station is configured to change to the safety-critical radio operating state by causing a second radio to be activated on the computing station. 
     
     
       20. The computing station of  claim 19 , wherein the second radio is a safety radio for intelligent transportation systems. 
     
     
       21. The computing station of  claim 14 , wherein the computing station is configured to change to the non-critical radio operating state by causing a radio on the computing station to use discontinuous reception. 
     
     
       22. The computing station of  claim 14 , wherein the computing station is configured to determine using information from local sensors on the computing station in conjunction with the trigger. 
     
     
       23. The computing station of  claim 14 , wherein the trigger is a message from a cellular base station providing an indication that the computing station is entering or leaving a geofenced area. 
     
     
       24. The computing station of  claim 14 , wherein the computing station is configured to determine by ignoring the trigger when the computing station is within a vehicle. 
     
     
       25. The computing station of  claim 14 , wherein the computing station is configured to determine by ignoring the trigger when the computing station is in a different plane from a transmitter that sent the trigger. 
     
     
       26. The computing station of  claim 14 , wherein the computing station is configured to determine based on time of day. 
     
     
       27. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instruction code, which, when executed by a processor of computing station, allow for communication in an intelligent transport system, the instruction code causing the computing station to:
 operate in one of a non-critical radio operating state and a safety-critical radio operating state, the safety-critical radio operating state having shorter sleep cycles to provide lower latency than the non-critical radio operating state for communications with one or more components of the intelligent transport system; 
 receive a trigger at the computing station, the trigger including a wake-up radio signal comprising on-off-keying (OOK) signals; 
 determine whether the trigger should cause the computing station to transition a radio operating state; 
 when the trigger should cause the computing station to transition the radio operating state, change the radio operating state to the other of the non-critical radio operating state and the safety-critical radio operating state; and 
 when the radio operating state is chanted to the safety-critical radio operating state, transmit a signal indicating that the radio operating state is the safety-critical radio operating state.